Poll: Would you consent to a search during a routine traffic stop?

This is a discussion on Poll: Would you consent to a search during a routine traffic stop? within the Off Topic & Humor Discussion forums, part of the The Back Porch category; To go along with the Traffic Stop 101 thread:
Would you consent to a search of your vehicle during a routine traffic stop?...

View Poll Results: Would you consent to a search of your vehicle during a routine traffic stop?

Searches must be reasonable, and there must be cause. Short of either, I would not consent to one. Nicely, as a non-criminal, I don't really have anything to hide. But, that principle is one of the original ones, in that there Constitution. It's there for good reason, as a serious limit to abuse by government. It should be treated as such, since you can damn well bet that if it's sloughed off like some things are then the abuses will become an unstoppable wave. Can't let that happen.

'Course, in an arrest situation, it would get searched anyway, as it would no longer be my choice to decline or approve of a search.

You mean just on a routine traffic stop...Do you mind if I look in your car?
Sure go ahead...knock yourself right out.
Just don't damage my car interior or your department pays & be respectful of the body in the trunk.

Don't care if they are "just doing their job". Bring your stupid drug dog and have him sniff my Cherokee. He isn't going to find a darn thing. Wast my time and yours. But I will not consent to a search of my property when all I might be guilty of is speeding.

Voted yes, also. Consented to it before. When he was done, cop told me he said he thought he smelled pot on me and that's why he wanted to search. I told him I hadn't done laundry in a week or two so any oders were bound to be pungent. We both laughed and he thanked me and we went our ways.

In all honesty, I got nothin' to hide. Yeah I've got guns in my car. I'll even talk shop with them if they want to. haha

This is a touchy subject for me. I understand their side but I also remember little things like the Constitution. My initial response is no, however if the officer has been professional and courteous and I can understand why, in the situation, he might be concerned I might be OK with it.

The reason I'm touchy is in over a decade of living and traveling on a boat I, quite frankly, got sick and tired of poorly trained kids muzzle sweeping me and my family and pulling out every single item we own from storage and then stuffing it back all disorganized. From the wifes underwear to my tools to my kids toys. Usually about every other month sometimes more. These were referred to as "safety inspections" by the Coast Guard. Yeah, right....

I won't even start on the level of professionalism I witnessed by the DEA/Customs teams. I know you say you have your side of the story but you lost all my respect and instilled a lot of needless fear in many children and women. I'll self edit at this point.......

If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good. ~ Thomas J. Watson, Jr.

I dont condone fishing expeditions , especially if my person is the prize catch. Since from time to time folks other than my immediate family ride in my vehicles I really dont know what a search will turn up, but do know who will be responsible for it if it does. As an officer i would search the squad car before using it for a shift and have found clubs, knives, dope , and in one case a gun in the rear seat ( where prisoners were transported ). Now i am reasonably sure that fellow officers did not stash this crap there but none the less there it was. Point is you never really know acquaintance's and friends as well as you think you do , so why give license for a search that you dont have to . If the officer can articulate to me a valid reason to search my vehicle/effects he can dammed well articulate it to a court as well and get the warrant .

Make sure you get full value out of today , Do something worthwhile, because what you do today will cost you one day off the rest of your life .
We only begin to understand folks after we stop and think .

I have no idea why someone would want to search my car on a routine traffic stop. The only thing he'd be smelling if he stuck is head in my Jeep is Febreeze. I am the most anal person in the world when it comes to my car being cleanly. As he approached he would see my tool box, first aide kit, extra windshield wiper fluid, jack, maps and umbrella, all neatly arranged in my cargo space, secured with a net. As he looked in my back seat he would see absolutely nothing but vacuumed floors and maybe my purse. As he looked in the driver's side window and took one long sniff he'd smell febreeze, and a careful look at the passenger side door would show him a bottle of febreeze, swiffer dusters and windex wipes (yes, I dust the inside of my Jeep regularly).
I always wear my seat belt. I'm always very courteous and respectful.

If he asked to search my vehicle, first I'd be shocked and then I'd say, "Okay, just please put everything back where it belongs."

It wouldn't take him very long to search (I HATE clutter and so my vehicle is very clutter free and organized), and it would probably be one of the best searches he'd ever done as I also vacuum underneath my seats, even taking them out to get into all of the cracks. If he got any dirt in my car, however, I would grind my teeth a bit while plotting a route to the nearest car wash.

I would be boring to search.

So, yeah, I'd consent, only because I'm a pretty accommodating individual and have nothing to hide. If anything it would give me a great story to tell later down the road.